


Sins are Debts and Debts need to be Paid

by limeta



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Beast Wirt, Gen, Past Character Death, Two Beasts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21957763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limeta/pseuds/limeta
Summary: When Wirt blows out the lantern, it doesn't go as well as he hoped.
Relationships: Beatrice & Wirt (Over the Garden Wall), The Beast & Wirt
Comments: 8
Kudos: 119





	Sins are Debts and Debts need to be Paid

Sins are debts, and debts need to be paid

It is always winter in the Beast's part of the Unknown. The trees there have lost all of their leaves and only hope to be covered by a thick coat of snow.

None dare venture there for it is the dreariest and bleakest part of the Unknown. As both the travellers and locals have come to understand, this world has a Beast lurking about. It is hidden within the shadows of the trees, ready to strike when one is most desperate. The Beast stalks through the night, invisible like a spectre of darkness gliding through its realm. Some say that it moves easily, without a bother in the world. This Beast is the one everyone is told to fear and never be caught by.

The other Beast...not so much _no_.

The legends have changed over the years; the Tavern Keeper is first to change her tune after many tales of a second creature appearing come to her ears. Most of the time these tales say that the new creature is nothing more than a child used as a puppet for the Beast's goals. Everyone underestimates this new creature, having only rumours to go off of.

They stop underestimating the newcomer when they see him wielding the tree roots. Then they know that both of the Beasts deserve reverence.

Oftentimes, there are tales of brave travellers who have seen the new Beast crying in front of an Edelwood with a silver tea kettle glistening brightly, small sun rays reflecting off it. The young one leans on the tree and mourns. His antlers are not as nearly big as his master's. However, their eyes are the same. It's just that the boy's eyes are still filled with life instead of death. That is the sole contrast between them.

The lantern itself is in the hands of the elder Beast, since the young one cannot be trusted, or so the townsfolk speculate. They see the young Beast carrying the lantern when he is with the elder Beast everyone is still too afraid to speak of. So they sing about him. They hear he is flattered. Or so the young Beast confesses to them on an occasion.

It is when a bunch of travellers find themselves in the company of the young one that they realise his existence is misfortunate.

Darkness always reigns in the Beast's part of the Unknown. More so than before. The Beast is gone, trying to find a lantern bearer. The young Beast is left alone to his own devices. The boy with brown messy hair comes about some valiant townsfolk going on an expedition to the Unknown. He stops trying to fix his hair and comes closer, keeping to the shadows for his own safety.

He tilts his head a bit; the antlers almost get caught on a tree branch, and luckily they don't. His antlers are thrice as small compared to the elder Beast yet he can't move nearly as freely as his teacher can. The young Beast is irritated by that. A lot.

''Aye, d'ya remember when we only had one of 'em to worry about? I say those were the good ol' days. Now I be terrified of stepping one foot in 'ere. There are two of 'em now! TWO! You run this way,'' The man speaking flails his arms left, ''Beast ready to snatch ya,’’ flails right, ‘’Ya run the other, another damn beast ready to kill ya! It ain't right.''

The other men murmur in agreement and return to their drinks and food.

''I still think the young Beast is nothing to worry about. Well, when compared to the elder.'' A woman in blue speaks, red hair covering a part of her face. She is leaning forward, head hung low over the fire, and her hands are neatly folded on her lap.

''Aye, Beatrice, what do you know? Since you’re the one to organise this expedition into the Unknown, pray tell us, girl, why did you ask us to accompany you.''

''In case the elder one shows up. You're all armed.'' The smirk she gives them puts them in a state of unease. Silence falls between them.

The young Beast comes even closer, watching his step and his antlers. He moves like a leaf through the wind, light and silent. A small smile faintly shines on his lips as he is just behind Beatrice and the tree behind her. He has missed her. O, he has missed his friend too much.

She has organised this to find him. He does not know what to think of the fact that she _wants_ to find him. Beatrice doesn't care that he's...one of these things. The smile widens and the young Beast presses his fingers together, looking up at the overcast sky.

''Wirt...I hope you're well.'' He hears her whisper and for once in his life that name fails to leave him. It's his and he shall go by it.

''I am managing.'' Wirt, also, fails to realise how there are many armed people surrounding Beatrice and that he really should not have said this aloud.

Panic ensues.

Beatrice is the first to react. She grabs an axe that looks far too familiar to belong to her and aims it at Wirt. Something in her angry expression shifts and it softens when she realises it is him.

''Wirt?''

A small nod is all he gives her. He blinks a bit, his eyes flickering from the bright reflector kind to the wide array of coloured kind as emotions overcome him. Wirt flings himself at Beatrice and wraps his skeletal arms around her, pulling her closer to him, and sobbing into her shoulder.

''Oh Wirt...you beautiful mistake of nature,'' Beatrice returns the hug and the men ease up as a result. ''I missed you.''

''I failed...I failed, Beatrice...I am so, so sorry.'' Wirt's voice cracks. Beatrice rubs his back with her hand and tells him it's all right. That it's not his fault, even though everything points to it. She tells him that he had no idea what would happen.

''I k-killed him...''

''No, you didn't know what would happen.''

''He came at me... and I just lost it ...and it happened and I...''

''No one blames you for that, Wirt.''

''He can't even go to Pottsfield!'' He screams and it's painful. Both teens realise how terrible it is to live in this wretched place, but there is nothing they can do about it. So they adapt.

Beatrice is silent as Wirt rants through tears and hiccups. She only holds onto him.

''Oh God... _Greg_.’’ There is a world of grief in that name. ‘’I failed to save my brother, Beatrice. I could have saved him if I just listened. I could have saved him if I didn't try to blow out the lantern...The Beast even tried to warn me, but I was so overcome with anger that I didn't care what happened to me as long as I took him down. Funny how things take the turn for the worst, Beatrice.''

''It all happened so fast for me to understand it.'' The girl confesses softly.

''The Edelwoods talk. I hear him...I hear him sometimes, Beatrice. It hurts. He was _six_ years old and he's _dead_.''

''I am so sorry, Wirt.''

''And it's my fault!''

''No, no, Wirt. You came too late to save him. It's the Beast who is to blame.''

''If I wasn't such a horrible brother...''

It is silent, save for the crackling fire and one of the men Beatrice has hired munching on food. Everyone looks at him and he stops.

''Wirt, come with us. Please. None of us will hurt you. You can live with me and my family, please!''

Wirt breaks the hug and stands up straight; he is a bit taller than Beatrice. All he does is point to the antlers. ''I can't walk through a door.''

''Does that matter? We’ll make you a bigger door, we'll renovate or something! That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard!''

''Beatrice...I am not as innocent as you take me to be. You do not want me near your family. A friendly chat here and there, I can manage that. And I needed this, thank you so much. It's just...'' Wirt looks down for a moment. ''The lantern burns twice as fast now. It needs more oil and I need to start...pulling my own weight.''

''Wirt...no one blames you for that.''

''He has a daughter, Beatrice, and I orphaned her!''

''He came at you with an axe out of fear, this very axe I'm holding. It was self-defence. He was scared and my God so were you!'' Wirt notices Beatrice stepping closer and so he steps back. There is a slight swish in the air that should not be there. Wirt takes this as his cue.

''Goodbye, Beatrice.''

''Wirt, don't you dare walk away from me!'' Beatrice grabs his arm and holds onto it. His sleeve rides up when he struggles to leave, and she sees that it’s wooden.

''You and your men are far too relaxed to be this far into the Unknown. I suggest you do not dwell deeper. Creatures that not even I wish to cross live within this part of the forest. Go back to Enoch. You’ll be safer in his territory.'' Wirt pulls out of her grasp, finally, using her horror to do so. He moves towards the shadows with a frown and tear stains on his cheeks.

''WHAT ARE YOU TO HIM?’’ Beatrice shouts. She marches after him, for only a few steps and then halts from a visceral sort of dread that comes when in the presence of the Elder Beast. She fumes, still, for her hurting firend: ‘’Are you a slave to him? A warped apprentice he’s teaching? Or, or,’’ Wirt doesn’t dare turn around, but Beatrice goes on, her voice breaking, ‘’Are you a sort of son? That’s what the townsfolk think, anyway…’’

Wirt forces himself to shrug and when he speaks his voice is in control and calm. It must be that he’s putting up a front now when he’s in the presence of his equal. ''Does it matter? He's helping me, teaching me things that I need to know to survive. That's far more than I deserve.'' The young boy looks at the anomaly in the forest and sees him. He's waiting for him, no movement to indicate to hurry up with his affairs. Patient is the Night.

''Beatrice,'' Wirt turns to her and sees her eyes red and puffy. ''I will miss you.''

''Don't say such things.''

''Goodbye.''

''WIRT!''

He's gone. Disappeared into the Unknown just as the Beast she remembers.

Wirt is gone.

Beatrice mourns.

The townsfolk gain a new legend for the two Beasts.

One is the keeper of the souls, one is the evil that stalks through the night and leads those of weak will to their doom for its own devilish purposes. The other whom some call Wirt is a lost soul who stalks alongside the Beast as punishment for his sins. Some things are worse than death, being a beast is one of them.


End file.
